I share you concerns too! Having just moved into a new house and installed my new set of speakers in our family room, I was so eager to start appreciating my CD collections all over again. But I quickly realized that it's not going to happen.

During the weekdays, I can only enjoy music when my 7-year old is done with watching the cartoon network and Mrs is done with her TV soaps. By that time, it's already 10pm and any listening has to be done at low volume as the little one has gone to bed! So that leaves me with almost no options of listening to my collection.

As regards the weekends, there's so many things happening that you barely have time. And still have to contend with a kid glued to the TV.

So, in the end, my audio system will be used for casual listening when we are entertaining guests or when watching a movie. It looks like until I finish my basement with a dedicated HT, I'm not going to make the most out of it.

On the other hand, like chesseroo mentioned, the speakers look and sound good. So, if you consider them more like pieces of furniture than a set of speakers, you'll be able to justify the cost!!!

That's been on my mind, CatBrat, but I cannot finish the basement for at least 2 years. Since it's a new home, we have to wait for it to settle, ensure there are no leakage or cracks in the concrete basement walls.

Is there a temporary acoustic treatment I could apply to the walls/floor/ceiling to manage the excess sound reflections without costing an arm and a leg. Keep in mind I'll have to rip everything off when finish the basement a couple of years down the road.

I'm trying to be as practical as possible and ignore the aesthetics aspect at this point.

So I was actually thinking of doing only the 2 interior walls of the future listening room now and apply some studio foams to the walls. But how about the 2 exterior concrete walls that currently have full height R12 insulation covered with a vapor barrier?

One solution that would work the best in your situation would be a room within a room approach. Use existing concrete where available for floors walls because it doesn't transmit sound very well. Every where else, build a wall and a false ceiling that are disconnected from the remainder of the structure.

Become familiar with the products that The Soundproofing Company has. Then contact them and explain your situation. I would plan for installing a long term home theater building on the framework that you are installing now, so as to not waste this effort.

They have clips that you can use to connect the ceiling of the soundproof room to the floor above. These clips will help isolate the sound in the room below, by not passing on vibrations. For the other walls, you can either build a double wall where they don't touch with insulation in them. One wall is the theater room wall, the other wall is what you see from outside this room. Drywall on only the visible portions. You can also build a slightly less effective wall by using 2x6's and stagger the 2x4 studs so that they support drywall, but they don't touch each other. Use a solid core door that seals good all around. Use 2 layers of drywall seperated by Green Glue, which is sound dampening. etc etc etc. Sound proofing is a science that is fairly easy to learn.

Having kids "glued" to the television is not healthy. For the eyes, mind, body or soul.

I can kinda understand the wife having veto power (a lot of p-whipped dudes around here, lolz), but letting a kid be in charge of the house? Why I never!

Man, things sure have changed since I was a kid.

I think you're doing a disservice to your child by putting the boob tube over music. They develop healthy and unhealthy habits early, I would think that music (or books) would have a better "influence" over a young and growing mind.

But that's just my opinion...

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"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it."---Frank Zappa